• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.521-535
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• 2015

Vibration-based monitoring is one approach used to perform structural condition assessment. By measuring structural response, such as displacement, dynamic characteristics of a structure may be estimated. Often, the primary dynamic responses in civil structures are below 5 Hz, making accurate low frequency measurement critical for successful dynamic characterization. In addition, static deflection measurements are useful for structural capacity and load rating assessments. This paper presents a DC coupled continuous wave radar to accurately detect both dynamic and static displacement. This low-cost radar sensor provides displacement measurements within a compact, wireless unit appropriate for a range of structural monitoring applications. The hardware components and operating mechanism of the radar are introduced and a series of laboratory experiments are presented to assess the performance characteristics of the radar. The laboratory and field experiments investigate the effect of factors such as target distance, motion amplitude, and motion frequency on the radar's measurement accuracy. The results demonstrate that the radar is capable of both static and dynamic displacement measurements with sub-millimeter accuracy, making it a promising technology for structural health monitoring.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.561-576
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• 2022

Heritage timber structures represent the history and culture of a nation. These structures have been inherited from previous generations; however, they inevitably exhibit deterioration over time, potentially leading to structural deficiencies. Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) offers the potential to assess operational anomalies, deterioration, and damage through processing and analysis of data collected from transducers and sensors mounted on the structure. This paper reports on the design and implementation of a long-term SHM system on the Feiyun Wooden Pavilion in China, a three-story timber building built more than 500 years ago. The principles and features of the design and implementation of SHM systems for heritage timber buildings are systematically discussed. In total, 104 sensors of 6 different types are deployed on the structure to monitor the environmental effects and structural responses, including air temperature and humidity, wind speed and direction, structural temperatures, strain, inclination, and acceleration. In addition, integrated data acquisition and transmission subsystem using a newly developed software platform are implemented. Selected preliminary statistical and correlation analysis using one year of monitoring data are presented to demonstrate the condition assessment capability of the system based on the monitoring data.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.12 no.3_4
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• pp.363-379
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• 2013

Dynamic displacement of structures is an important index for in-service structural condition and behavior assessment, but accurate measurement of structural displacement for large-scale civil structures such as long-span bridges still remains as a challenging task. In this paper, a vision-based dynamic displacement measurement system with the use of digital image processing technology is developed, which is featured by its distinctive characteristics in non-contact, long-distance, and high-precision structural displacement measurement. The hardware of this system is mainly composed of a high-resolution industrial CCD (charge-coupled-device) digital camera and an extended-range zoom lens. Through continuously tracing and identifying a target on the structure, the structural displacement is derived through cross-correlation analysis between the predefined pattern and the captured digital images with the aid of a pattern matching algorithm. To validate the developed system, MTS tests of sinusoidal motions under different vibration frequencies and amplitudes and shaking table tests with different excitations (the El-Centro earthquake wave and a sinusoidal motion) are carried out. Additionally, in-situ verification experiments are performed to measure the mid-span vertical displacement of the suspension Tsing Ma Bridge in the operational condition and the cable-stayed Stonecutters Bridge during loading tests. The obtained results show that the developed system exhibits an excellent capability in real-time measurement of structural displacement and can serve as a good complement to the traditional sensors.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.77 no.4
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• pp.441-461
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• 2021

Reinforced concrete (RC) columns are crucial in building structures and they are of higher vulnerability to terrorist threat than any other structural elements. Thus it is of great interest and necessity to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the possible responses of RC columns when exposed to high intensive blast loads. The primary objective of this study is to derive analytical formulas to assess vulnerability of RC columns using an advanced numerical modelling approach. This investigation is necessary as the effect of blast loads would be minimal to the RC structure if the explosive charge is located at the safe standoff distance from the main columns in the building and therefore minimizes the chance of disastrous collapse of the RC columns. In the current research, finite element model is developed for RC columns using LS-DYNA program that includes a comprehensive discussion of the material models, element formulation, boundary condition and loading methods. Numerical model is validated to aid in the study of RC column testing against the explosion field test results. Residual capacity of RC column is selected as damage criteria. Intensive investigations using Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) methodology are then implemented to evaluate the influence of scaled distance, column dimension, concrete and steel reinforcement properties and axial load index on the vulnerability of RC columns. The generated empirical formulae can be used by the designers to predict a damage degree of new column design when consider explosive loads. With an extensive knowledge on the vulnerability assessment of RC structures under blast explosion, advancement to the convention design of structural elements can be achieved to improve the column survivability, while reducing the lethality of explosive attack and in turn providing a safer environment for the public.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.1065-1069
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• 2001

This study aims to suggest the basic data for structural safety assessment and design considering building dynamic characteristics. For this purpose, ambient vibration measurement was practiced after studying international standards dealing with vibration measurements such as ISO, DIN and so on. Various types of situation and condition which help search the building natural frequencies through the field measurements were proposed.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.61-71
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• 2010

The attributes related to the health condition of RC deck slabs are analyzed to help us identify and rate the safety level of the bridges in this study. According to the related reports the state assessment for the outward aspects of bridges is the important and critical part for rating the overall structural safety. In this respect, the careful identification for the various state attributes make the field inspection and structural diagnosis very effective. This study analyzes the influence of the state attributes on evaluation classes and the relationship of them by the inductive reasoning, which raise the understanding and performance for evaluation work, and support the logical approach for the state assessment. ID3 algorithm applied to the case set which is constructed from the field reports indicates the main attributes and the precedence governing the assessment, and derives the decision hierarchy for the state assessment.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.171-182
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• 2022

The regular assessment of a building is important to understand structural safety and latent risk in the early stages of building life cycle. However, methods of traditional assessment are subjective, atypical, labor-intensive, and time-consuming and as such the reliability of these results has been questioned. This study proposed a method to bring accurate results using a 3D laser scanner and integrate them in Building Information Modeling (BIM) to visualize defective condition. The specific process for this study was as follows: (1) semi-automated data acquisition using 3D laser scanner and python script, (2) scan-to-BIM process, (3) integrating and visualizing defective conditions data using dynamo. The method proposed in this study improved efficiency and productivity in a building assessment through omitting the additional process of measurement and documentation. The visualized 3D model allows building facility managers to make more effective decisions. Ultimately, this is expected to improve the efficiency of building maintenance works.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.319-336
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• 2015

Life cycle performance of corrosion affected RC structures is an important and challenging issue for effective infrastructure management. The accurate condition assessment of corroded RC structures mainly depends on the effective evaluation of deterioration occurring in the structures. Structural performance deterioration caused by reinforcement corrosion is a complex phenomenon which is generally uncertain and non-decreasing. Therefore, a stochastic modelling such as the gamma process can be an effective tool to consider the temporal uncertainty associated with performance deterioration. This paper presents a time-dependent reliability analysis of corrosion affected RC structures associated bond strength degradation. Initially, an analytical model to evaluate cracking in the concrete cover and the associated loss of bond between the corroded steel and the surrounding cracked concrete is developed. The analytical results of cover surface cracking and bond strength deterioration are examined by experimental data available. Then the verified analytical results are used for the stochastic deterioration modelling, presented here as gamma process. The application of the proposed approach is illustrated with a numerical example. The results from the illustrative example show that the proposed approach is capable of assessing performance of the bond strength of concrete structures affected by reinforcement corrosion during their lifecycle.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.162-169
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• 2016

A new concept of membrane type LNG CCS was proposed. Also, its static behavior was numerically analyzed considering the interaction between primary and secondary barrier together with securing device. Hull deflection was taken into account as an external load, together with temperature distribution across the barriers. The suggested numerical model considers both sliding and contact between the two mating surfaces of both the primary and secondary barrier, and anisotropic material behavior of plywood, R-PUF was also taken into account. Furthermore, detailed local strength was evaluated for the securing device, which is arranged between two barriers to hold the primary barrier. It was confirmed through the numerical analysis that the new concept of membrane type CCS was structurally safe under static loading condition and securing concept was structurally reliable.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.667-680
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• 2020

This study aims at reporting a systematic procedure for evaluating the static and dynamic structural performance of steel bridges based on a short-period structural health monitoring measurement. Sungsu bridge located in Korea is considered as a case study presenting the most recent tests carried out to examine the bridge condition. Short-period measurements of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system were used during the bridge testing phase. A novel symmetry index is introduced using statistical analyses of deflection and strain measurements. Frequency Domain Decomposition (FDD) is implemented to the strain measurements to estimate the bridge mode shapes and damping ratios. Furthermore, Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) is also implemented to examine the reliability of bridge performance while ambient design trucks are in static or moving at different speeds. Strain, displacement and acceleration were measured at selected locations on the bridge. The results show that the symmetry index can be an efficient and useful measure in assessing the steel bridge performance. The results from the used method reveal that the performance of the Sungsu bridge is safe under operational conditions.